Foldable, portable shelving



Y. GOLDMAN FOLDABLE PORTABLE SHELVING June 18, 1940.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 15, 1939 INVENTOR )Qlrada fiairiillaa BY /W ATTORNEY June 18, 1940. Y. GOLDMAN 2,205,193

FOLDABLE PORTABLE SHELVING Filed April 15, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet ATTORNEY Patented June 18, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FOLDABLE, PORTABLE SHELVING Yehuda Goldman, New York, N. Y.

Application April 15, 1939, Serial No. 267,975

2 Claims.

My invention relates to a new, collapsible or foldable and portable shelving for the support of books, magazines and other articles as for instance merchandise, either for storing or display,

and it is the principal object of my invention to provide such a shelving which, when in use as shelving is suitably braced, while when not in use, it may be folded into a comparatively small, compact parcel convenient to carry from place to place.

Another object of my invention is the provision of such a foldable, portable shelving suitable for use in the home, in schools, libraries, offices, stores or the like as an auxiliary, permanent or temporary support for various articles.

Still another object of my invention is the provision of a collapsible, portable shelving which may be made of heavy canvas or like foldable and suitable material equipped with strengthenin means particularly on its rear to space it from a supporting wall or the like and to ensure its rigidity. This strengthening means may either be horizontally arranged within a suitable sheathing, or it may have the form of vertically arranged slats or the like, articulated in such manner as to allow a ready folding.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a foldable shelving of this type, which, when unfolded may be conveniently suspended from a wall or the like by means of hooks and eyes, nails or the like.

A still further object of my invention is the provision of a shelving, the individual, article supporting shelves of which are foldable against the backing, and when swung out into: their horizontal, article supporting position, are held in this position by any suitable means as for instance chains, belts or the like permitting a ready folding, while in use they firmly hold the shelves in i4 position for supporting even comparatively heavy articles, while simultaneously preventing the same from falling off the shelves laterally.

The uppermost member of the shelf backing, or of the lateral strengthening means are pro- 45 vided with suitable eyes for the suspension of the shelving from hooks, nails or the like, and the lowermost member of the backing is equipped with a band or strap having a socket adapted to be engaged by a suitable button or the like on 50 one intermediary member when the shelving is folded or vice versa, so as to hold the parts together in their folded position to form a compact parcel while additional brackets may be supplied under each shelf to augment its weight bearing capacity.

The individual vertically arranged slats are articulated by means of a peculiarly-shaped wire which permits the parts to maintain either an upright position with the tongue of one slat member engaging a suitably bevelled portion of the ,5 next adjoining member when the shelving is set up for use, or to allow a folding of the slats upon one another when the shelving is collapsed.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will become more fully known as the description thereof proceeds, and will then be specifically defined in the appended claims.

, In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure: I

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a shelving constructed according to my invention, unfolded and in its modified form, g

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof.

Fig, 3 illustrates the form of shelving, Figure 1, when collapsed or folded into a compact parcel.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of a shelving constructed according to my invention in its preferred form.

Fig. 5 is a partially illustrated side elevation thereof.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary, sectional side elevaticn of two strengthening slats and shelves when collapsed.

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary of, partly in section. 7

As illustrated in Figures 1 to 3, a shelving constructed according to my invention has a backing of for instance strong canvas or any other suitable material 10, strengthened on its back by means of ribs ll of metal or similar strong material within a suitable sheathing I2 or the like.

The individual shelves l3 of wood or any similar strong supporting material are at their inner U edges foldably and hingedly connected to the backing by means of strong canvas or like hinges M at suitable intervals and in any desiredor re quired number. T

In their article supporting or unfolded position the individual shelves are held in place by means of the chains l5, belts, straps or the like foldablemeans which are attached at one end to the backing, as at It, and at their other ends the shelves have attached thereto the other ends of these chains near their front edges, as at ll.

To the lowermost member of the backing a strap I8 is attached having a socket member IQ for engagement by a suitable button IS on the front elevation ther- I rear of one intermediary member of the backing to hold the shelving folded and convenient to transport,

In use the shelving is unfolded and hung by means of its eyes 26 preferably in the uppermost backing member from hooks, nails or the like in an evident manner so that the chains will drop the individual shelves into horizontal position for the support of books, magazines or any other article of merchandise to be placed on the shelves for storage or for display.

In the preferred form of my invention illustrated in Figures 4 to 7, the backing 2| is also made of a strong foldable material as for instance canvas or the like re-inforced or strengthened at its rear on the side edges thereof by means of a plurality of articulated wooden slats or slats of any suitable strong material, generally designated 22 constructed as later on more fully to be described.

The individual shelves are designated 23 and rest upon supporting brackets 24 on the slats 22 in their unfolded horizontal position in which they are held by means of chains 25 or the like foldable members which are attached at one end, as at 26 to the slats and at the other end, as at 27 to the shelves 23. Suitable holes 28 in the upper ends of the uppermost slats are adapted to be engaged by the hooks, nails or the like by means of which the shelving is to be hung from a wall, etc.

A strap or the like 2 9, secured to the lowermost member of the backing carries a socket 3i! adapted to be engaged by a button or the like 3| at the rear of the uppermost member of the backing to hold the shelving members together in their folded position to form a compact parcel.

The individual slats 22 are constructed as follows:

The construction of two adjoining slats will be described as an example of the articulation of the other slats.

One of the slats has at its end directed to the next adjoining slat a tongue 32 extending into a suitable recess or slot 33 in the end of the next adjoining slat having its end bevelled or rounded as at 34 adapted to be engaged by the end of the tongue behind the material of the other slat in order to keep the two adjoining slats in rigid position. A peculiarly shaped, substantially U- formed wire 35 passed through the branches of the slat having and forming the recess 33 and designated 36, 31 in which the ends of the wire are anchored, allows the turning of one slat and folding it against the next adjoining slat in a direction oppositely directed to the pressure of the end of tongue 32 against the bevelled end of the recess 33. The U-shaped pintle 35 is formed with the tongue 32 of the slat 22 and its end branches are passed through suitable bores in the branches 36, 31 of the slat 23 during the assemblage of the parts while the tongue 32 is introduced into the recess 33 of the slat 23 in front of the bevelled edge 34 thereof.

In use, the shelving is hung from hooks or nails in a support engaging in the openings 28 and unfolded. In this position the tongues of one member will engage in the recesses 33 of the next adjoining member and their ends engaging the bevelled portions of the recess end will form one straight line with the adjoining slat. If it is now desired to fold the shelving, the slat is turned about the hinge pintle 35 in a direction opposite to the engagement of the tongue end and the bevelled portion and it will then be possible to fold the slat against the next following one and so forth until all the slats with their backing are folded whereupon the button 3| is engaged in the socket 38 and the whole will form a compact parcel easy to carry.

It will be understood that I have described and shown the preferred forms of my invention only as a few examples of the many possible ways to practically construct the same and that I may make such changes in the general arrangement of my collapsible and portable shelving and in the construction of its minor parts as come within the scope of the appended claims without departure from the spirit of my invention and the principles involved.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a collapsible and portable shelving as described the articulation of two adjoining strengthening members for the backing comprising a tongue at one end of one of said members adapted to engage a recess in the end of the next adjoining member having a bevelled end with which the tongue engages in order to form one rigid stiffening member for the backing when unfolded, the recess in one of the slats formed by two branches having bevelled ends, and a pintle passing through the tongueand anchored in said branches about which the other slat is meld-1E or turning in a direction opposite to the direction of engagement between the tongue and the beveled end wall of the recess in the next adjoining slat to allow a folding of the individual slats upon one another.

2. In a foldable and collapsible shelving as described, a backing, a strengthening means for said backing composed of a plurality of articulated slats, one of the slats having a tongue at one end adapted to engage a recess formed in the neighboring end of the next adjoining slat, branches on said slat forming said recess therein, and a substantially U-shaped wire pintle passed through said tongue and anchored in said branches with its ends, said tongue engaging the end wall of said recess when the slats are turned in one direction to form a rigid member with all slats in alignment to rigidly support the unfolded backing, and when said slats are turned in the opposite direction to allow a folding of the backing and of the slats upon one another when the shelving is to be collapsed.

YEHUDA GOLDMAN. 

